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le names like Gagne, Bockwinkel, Ellis, and Hogan might mean little to many people, to those interested in the world of professional wrestling, they are names of some of the greatest stars who ever competed. One can only imagine how many hours these men spent with their backs on a mat watching a referee begin his count. Today the world of professional wrestling is still a lucrative business with millions spent on shows and other spin-off toys. Some things may have changed over the years. The rope jumps seem to be getting higher, the eye gouging seems to be getting more realistic and there are many more folding chairs dented on the backs and heads of seemingly unsuspecting opponents. But the show is still the same. Crowds still enjoy being entertained by sweaty men practicing headlocks and pile drivers.
Whether or not you are a fan of the WWE, wrestling is not new. Certainly this sport had its start years ago in the Greek and Roman world. Scripture makes a few references to wrestling, both in the Old and New Testaments. The word origin of the term wrestle means “to agonize over or to engage in a battle.” The Bible always associates that word with prayer. There are several examples of people in the Bible who agonized over their prayers. Abraham wrestled with the Lord over the fate of Sodom and its people. Jacob wrestled with God late one night, and as a result he was crippled for life. Moses wrestled with God several times in his prayers for the people of Israel. We also think of faithful Hannah who prayed fervently for the blessing of a baby. And of course, Jesus wrestled in his prayers with the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. That was truly an agonizing time for the Savior.
There is a man in the New Testament who steps into the ring for a few verses and then disappears. His name is Epaphras. Of the three times his name is mentioned, we learn that he is a comrade of Paul who was a “fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit” (Colossians 1:7,8). Later we learn that Epaphras was a fellow prisoner with Paul.
But there is one comment about this man that gives us pause to consider his prayer life. Colossians 4:12 states that Epaphras was “always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Epaphras was a prayer wrestler. Frequently he went to the mat for his fellow believers. His prayers stormed the throne of God with constant pleas for forgiveness, strength, welfare, and comfort. His prayers were continuous and strenuous. They were rigorous and forceful.
How is your prayer life? Are you an Epaphras in your prayers? Do you storm God’s throne with your requests, or do you use your prayers as you would an exercise bicycle, slowly and thoughtlessly?
Certainly, it is true that Epaphras was given a special talent by the Lord. He had a unique ability for fervent prayer. He also had a special love for his fellow Christians. He may have been a poor preacher or terrible at meeting new people. Those talents are given to some and not others, but who can deny his love for fervent prayer?
Perhaps we will never climb through the ropes and enter the ring like Epaphras, but there is a lesson here for each of us. Prayer is active, not passive. It flows from hearts that are intent, breaking, thankful, stressed, besieged, lonely, and harassed. It reflects our Savior, who is fervently praying for us before God’s throne. Paul asked his people to join him in his prayer struggles. Should we perhaps rethink our prayer lives? When is the last time we agonized over our prayers? Can we remember the last time our prayers left us exhausted or invigorated? Perhaps Epaphras could teach us all a few moves!
O Thou by whom we come to God, the Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod, Lord, teach us how to pray!
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